***
The next day Peter was too blissfully happy to think about anything the only pause in his day came when he recognized news reports of the riot. "Spider-Man's Reign of Terror. " he read the article on his way downtown. "Spider-Man went on a spree of destruction last night. The webbed Menace caused thousands of dollars in property damage alone during a riot at Columbia University witnesses also report sightings of a mutant lizard creature fueling speculation as to the connection that might exist between Spider-Man and the creature. The spree of chaos left many innocent bystanders trapped including several girls Spider-man sealed in their sorority residence for reasons unknown. Animal behaviorists consulted by Bugle staff verify that restraining prey is usually the first step before a spider consumes it. Luckily campus police were on hand and chased the miscreant away before he could harm noted teacher and scientist Dr Curt Connors. There were also unconfirmed reports that Dr Octopus was seen in the area but at this point police continue to deny any link between the two.
Since Otto had a connection to The Hardy Foundation Peter decided that a talk with Felicia Hardy was in order. In theory, this was easy to arrange. Harry Osborne and Felicia were dating, but Harry had been busy with work so seeing Harry proved to be difficult,
"You think you can talk to her Harry, make her understand that I need this favour I don't think she will listen to me." Harry Osborne and Peter were meeting in Osborne's office in the Oscorp building. Harry's desk was covered in work. Pictures and schematics hung on the walls. Notable absent among the listing of the Oscorp's proud achievements was the personal glider and the muscle-enhancing amour that formed the basis of the Green Goblin's weapons. Peter had told Harry about the search for Octavius and the connection that Connors had hinted at between the demented doctor and Felicia or more likely, as Harry was quick to point out, Felicia's mother Anastasia.
"So you want to talk to Felicia's mother about her past with Otto"
I think there's something there but, I'm not sure what. Plus you know better what her reaction might be."
"It won't be good Peter. Felicia, she can be a handful and she has some bad qualities. But she adores her mother and the memory of father. I get the impression that he walked on water the way that Felicia describes him."
"There might be a connection between Octavius and Ms Hardy."
"Peter, children don't always see their parents the same way that others do. You can't believe every rumor you come across. Would you believe there are stories that my father was the Green Goblin? I mean, how ridiculous is that. My father, The Goblin, next people will be saying you're Spider-man."
"Yeah, how stupid is that." Peter smiled uncomfortably. "Listen Harry, If I am right about this thing, we need to find out where Otto is going to strike, to do that we have to find out who he has grudges against. He already made a play for your father. He attacked Connors. I'm just worried about Felicia and her mother. That's all. You could come with me when I talk to her. "
"I have work Pete. It seems like my father was involved in a hundred different things and everyone wants the same assurance that Oscorp is under firm control. I don't have time to breathe let alone anything else."
"I hate to point this out to you Harry but that is the same sort of excuse you used to complain about your father giving when there was anything that you wanted him to do with you."
"Maybe I understand a lot better about the sacrifices that are required in order to stay ahead of the game."
"You're friends shouldn't be one of those sacrifices. The Goblin tried to kill you along with the rest of the Oscorp board to get at your father and you saw where that ended. Now Felicia's mother's past may be coming back to hunt her and Felicia is going to get caught in the crossfire."
"Is this going to be the This-is-your-chance-to-show-that-you-care-about-her speech."
"I hoped that you wouldn't see it coming that easy."
Harry laughed and reached for the telephone, Peter had a lunch date five minutes later.
***
He met Felicia for lunch after checking the office to find that Ben was still dead to the world. She was dressed in a business skirt and huge sweater. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled back in a bob. In addition, she was wearing a set of owlish looking glasses that fairly screamed efficiency.
"So how long has your mother known Dr Otto Octavius?" He asked after the waiter left.
"I hope you practice a little more foreplay with your girlfriend the model, Parker. A girl likes to be romanced."
"Sorry, last nights festivities have got me thinking."
"And me, Mother refuses to take any notice of the news she just says to let security handle it that's what they're paid for."
"Did Octavius work for you guys for long."
"Until he was tapped to assist Connors, Stillwell and Warren on the enhancer project."
"What happened after that?"
"He wanted to make the findings about the chemical public. That violated the non-disclosure deal the he signed. He went behind Mother's back and published. Mother went to the rest of the team and Connors was the only one willing to say the Octavius had stolen data from them."
"So he was forced to retract his statements and as a result lost his funding."
"I think mom wanted to cut his funding long before that happened. She and he never got along."
"Really, why was that."
"Mom never said. He was brought in to help develop technologies for The Foundation. Eventually Mom just started telling me to stay away from him."
"Why hire him if she didn't like him."
"I don't know after he want to work for Oscorp she never mentioned it again. Like it was a dead issue."
"That was a lucky break. I don't know of many places that would hire someone who falsified lab results."
"I know, yet mom never said anything to Norman about it that I know of."
Peter changed the subject and they spoke about other things. Felicia asked about his Spider-man pictures and he was appropriately mysterious about it. In fact, she asked many questions. Did Spider-Man date, where did he hang out. Peter wondered at the questions. He remembered the last time she had seen Spider-Man in the flesh she had been quite taken with him. Peter wondered if Felicia had developed a crush on his alter ego.
The two continued bonding as the waiter brought the bill. Felicia presented him with her credit card and then the two headed to the street. They headed for a car parked on the next block and Peter suggested coffee. Felicia hesitated for a moment and then agreed. They were stepping up to the car when a man with a cap ran up and grabbed the purse from Felicia's shoulder. Peter jumped over the hood of the car but was amazed when Felicia snapped out her foot and tripped the thug sending him spilling to the street. He was amazed she moved that quickly.
"That was amazing…" he started but she pointed and shouted at him.
"Peter, the car."
Peter turned around and watched as a thief climbed into the car and roared away from the curb. He shouted for Felicia to stay there and ran down the street after the car. Felicia looked after the fleeing carjacker and then turned to the thug groaning on the ground in front of her. She looked around and saw a cop heading toward them so she contented herself with kicking the thief in the head.
***
Peter pounded after the car. He watched it turn a corner. He smiled as he saw an alleyway running parallel. He headed into the shadows already yanking off his shirt. He sprang up the side of a building and finished changing into his costume. He was soon slinging after the car. He swung low over the street and landed on the hood. The thief's eyes widened in shock. Spider-man splayed his hands across the windscreen and pulled hard. The windshield ripped free and he tossed it to one side. He fired a web-line into the car. The thief threw himself to one side and the web-line snagged onto the seat beside him. The thief slammed on the accelerator turning the car into a moving rocket. Spider-man used his remaining hand to cling to the roof. He realized it was a rag top moments before the thief inside acted. He pulled a knife and slashed the rooftop cutting the chunk of the roof away that the hero was holding onto. Spider-man cartwheeled toward the back of the car, landing on the trunk. The thief did a fast heel toe movement that sent the car fishtailing toward a lamppost. The impact threw Spider-Man into a wall. He felt fire erupt in his shoulder. He sank to the ground and watched the car barrel down the block. Pulling himself up he looked after the speeding vehicle. "Well. Thank God, nobody is getting this on tape. Being spotlighted on America's Dumbest Vigilantes wouldn't improve my dubious reputation."
"Lets see if this goes right this time." He took to the air web slinging down the street. He landed on the roof of the car as it sped around a corner at full speed. Spider-man reached into the car through the hole in the roof. The thug tried to shake him off. Spider-man sneered. "Yeah Evil Kenivel like that's going to work" He sprayed webbing into the car fixing the thief to the seat. "You wanna get wild, just know that you're going down with the car."
The thug jammed on the brake. Spider-man webbed his feet to the pedals. "Since you're going to be here for awhile, how about a little music." He reached to the dashboard and tuned the radio to an easy listening station. "Feel free to scream as much as you want it will get the police here much faster."
***
Felicia was just giving her statement to the police when Peter came jogging up the block. "What happened to the car?" She asked looking for vehicle as though Peter might be hiding it.
"Oh Spider-Man showed up and stopped the guy it was funny really, I had almost lost him. But Spider-man caught up to him and webbed him to the car. Actually, I wish I'd had my camera with me JJ would have had a hard time spinning Spider-man stopping a carjacker into something negative."
"I wish I had seen it, is he still around somewhere?" she asked breathlessly with lust in her eye.
The police officer made a grunting sound and Peter looked at him. "Problem, officer?"
He stared back at Peter and then muttered quietly. "Peter Parker, Spider-man's personal paparazzi. You glorify a vigilante, which makes the legitimate police look bad, as if the system doesn't work. "
"Spider-man is a public citizen officer if you want to believe JJ Jameson's editorial bluster that's your business getting the truth out even if it means becoming someone's `personal paparazzi` is mine."
"Charming as this testosterone clash is shaping up to be, can we get back to the how and why of these guys?" Felicia asked testily.
The cop broke from his giving Parker stink eye and responded wearily. "Do you want to press charges"
"Of course I want to press charges why wouldn't I?"
"Because." Peter responded for the policeman." If you put them through the system, they will be out on the street inside of a week. They remain free until the trial date by which time some over worked and underpaid court appointed attorney will pled the case down to a misdemeanor. They will look at the fact that we got our stuff back and that you beat the guy that tried to take your purse. I'd be surprised if they saw two years in jail. So they are in jail for a few months and they have records. Any one bold enough to march up to someone on a street and steal a car or purse will not be inconvenienced by having a record. So the question is not do you want to press charges, the question is do you have the time to devote to seeing it though to its unsatisfactory conclusion."
Felicia looked at Peter then at the policeman who's silence was more damning an agreement then any ranting he could have done. She turned on her heel and stocked away.
***
An hour later, the cops were processing the two street thugs when a woman showed up at the station house. "Who are you?" the Desk Sargent asked, as he looked at the ID.
"Detective Sharon Carter. From downtown, I'm tracking something big and the two you brought in this evening may have something to do with it. "
"That was fast, we just got them in."
"I was monitoring the police band and heard they had been picked up"
"We were just going to process them."
"I need to talk to them first."
"What do you need?"
"Five minutes and an empty interrogation room. I'll be in and out."
Five minutes later the thugs were sitting in another room cooling their heels when the cool efficient detective swept into the room.
The purse-snatcher muttered "They were going to delouse us."
Carter held up her finger and shushed to two men as she held a pen in the air and gave it a quick clicking turn. "The audio and video on the camera just went offline. What happened? "
The two men looked at each other and the carjacker responded. "We were trying to gather evidence in a more direct fashion. Things didn't go as planned."
"Observe the subject, track the subject, report any contact the subject has, especially if it's with Dr Octavius. Now I can be bad with interpreting orders but where in that brief summation did you two get the bonehead idea to snatch someone's purse or steal a car."
The two men flushed. "We screwed up."
"You think?" Carter snarled "The only good thing in this is everyone believes this to be an ordinary street crime. The police are obviously treating it that way."
"You don't mean we have to rot in here longer."
"You gentlemen might want to use the time to consider what will happen to you when we finally get you out."
"What about the subject."
"Not your concern anymore." Carter pounded on the door to call the policemen back. "If I were you, I would look forward to the delousing."
***
Carter headed out of the building without a glance at the officer who had let her in the door. She headed for a phone booth on the next block. There she lifted the receiver and checked for a tone then reaching into her purse she attached a small device to the phone that auto dialed a number and gave a security tone recognized on the other side. The answering voice was as to the point as she had been.
"What happened out there? How were they compromised"
They weren't as far as that goes." Carter answered brusquely "they had a random act of stupid and have been mistaken for common street hoods."
"Recommendations"
"It sounds cruel but I'd say give them enough of a history no one will look twice and then let them fall though the cracks. We can always catch them later"
"And the target." The voice asked impatience in its delivery. "Are any of the principles aware of the surveillance."
"No, Even Spider-man took them for thieves and responded in like fashion."
"Then the operation continues."
Carter broke off contact and stuffed the tone device back in her purse. She would have to find a new way of monitoring all the players involved in this mess. She glanced at the front cover of Daily Bugle visible in a newspaper box beside her. The picture, an older one, showed Spiderman in flight and seemed to mock her. "Especially you…how do we control what you're up to."
***
Felicia came through the door she had not meant to walk out on Peter like she had, but her fury at the afternoons events was unbridled. She also sensed excitement, Spider-man had been in the area but predictably, Parker had been the one to catch sight of him. If she wanted to get to Spider-Man, she would have to go through Peter … at least for now. She sat and thought about what Peter had said. How to get the interest of Spider-Man? She was just considering her options when she opened her office and found a trench coated man standing at her desk. She was immediately annoyed the girl outside had not warned her until the man turned and she saw the man in front of her was Dr Octavius.
"Hello my dear Felicia no doubt you remember me. I would like to speak to your mother of certain things." His metal arms were already on her before she could even move. "You of course will help me. Convince her."
***
"I don't know which I find more annoying when I have a hangover Peter, the sunshine or your obvious afterglow." Ben Urich was in a mood. The shades that covered his eyes concealed the redness that he woke up with and still had. His long hair was hanging loose because "…it hurts my head to pull it back."
According to the news, this was the general after effect of the gas Doctor Octopus had used on the campus. Some were even suggesting that the lizard creature was a hallucination brought on by the mass hysteria.
Urich had fought the pain and proposed a visit to DeWolf's office. The police had been silent on the search for Dr Octopus. The news that he had been sighted on the campus shortly before the chaos broke out had Peter And Ben thinking that it was time to touch base with their favorite off the record source.
She was her usual cheery self when they arrived. "Oh god, you two. What higher deity did I piss off."
"Detective nice to see you so reserved." Ben seemed to be in a punchy mood brought on by his hangover. "I was wondering if you could share any details of your recent attempt to find the fugitive Doctor."
"No comment" De Wolf replied curtly she seemed to be stressed and Pete was all set to leave and come back some other time but Ben stood his ground.
"When asked about the search for the Terrorist Dr Octopus, police could point to no concrete steps they were taking to safeguard the city."
DeWolf turned around and marched up to Urich. "You wouldn't dare print -boy."
"I have a hangover Jean don't try to guess what I will or will not do when my head hurts this much and I have to endure your stonewalling."
Jean sniffed in an exaggerated manner. "Why Urich, is that liquor I smell on your breath I may have to lock you up for twenty-four hours … purely a preventative measure. You understand." She said in a friendly voice
"Sure Jean, that will give me time to fine tune my hard hitting piece on out-of control police authority." Ben said in the same friendly tone.
Peter for his part was seeing way too many teeth being bared for this to be a friendly conversation. "Ok guys could we retire to our respective sides." He gradually pushed Ben into a chair. Jean looked around and noted how many officers had stopped their deskwork to watch the proceedings. She unleashed a profane rant about everyone minding their own business and then gestured to the two men directing them to her office. Peter grabbed the back of the chair he had shoved Ben into and pushed into the office kicking the door shut in the process.
"What the hell is up with you Urich." DeWolf asked genuinely surprised at him. Ben was about to answer when Peter interjected.
"Last night at the campus Ben got a lung-full of the chemical Dr Octopus used on the crowd."
Jean nodded. "That explains the hangover. I have a dozen reports to sift through from last night's orgy of stupid."
"I guess you got nothing out of Dr Connors." asked Ben
Jean shook her head. "Gave us a disk filled with copies of the files Dr Octavius accessed. Seems he was interested in the group work Connors was involved with a dog's age ago."
"Amazing he gave us less then nothing. What did you do."
"Nothing he was somewhat uncooperative when we talked to him after the Ravencroft attack but last night he had a change of heart. We had to pull him out of a spider-web so I assume the Web Slinger had something to do with it."
Peter kept quiet as the two discussed their impressions of his alter ego's activities. Sensing a story Ben became totally placating. "Anything you can give us, Please Jean you know I was letting my head pain talk for me earlier."
"Ben, I am being kept out of the loop by the NSA. It's like they are trying to find him so they can interrogate him, not stop him."
"The only thing he knows potentially is whatever Norman told him or he discovered about the performance drug."
"Danm spooks with their danm secrets. You mark my words Urich they will let all of us die before they tell the truth."
"What truth, what are they hiding."
"It can't be a coincidence. Mutants are on the rise around the world. More are appearing every day. That Oscorp brew would be a perfect tool if they want to create their own meta-humans. But, they lost control. First the Green Goblin now Dr Octopus. They screwed up and lost control of their little Frankenstein experiment and now they are trying to figure out how to clean it up."
Ben nodded "where are the men in black right now."
"Interviewing Connors again, apparently some of what they want to ask is restricted information so I'm not cleared to sit on the interview. I was still pissed about that when you two rolled in here."
"I'm going back to that university, there is something going on there I know it, Connors was hiding something and it wasn't just the presence of Doc Ock in his office."
Peter headed for the door. "I'll hail the cab."
Urich shook his head "No way Parker, Connors has issues with you and those agents will get really tight lipped if they smell that camera. I can be unobtrusive."
Peter put up a fight but Ben had made up his mind. He hustled out of the office DeWolf at his heels. Peter wandered toward the entrance. The office was brimming with activity. Policemen labored over reports or conversed. It reminded Peter of the daily beehive of motion at the Bugle. He was passing a desk when he heard a conversation.
No sweetie … yes Hon. Of course I will be on time but this thing came up at the last second. A silent alarm over at the Hardy Building…. No it's not a big deal, the last five times it happened they freaked out when we sent over units. I figure, let them call and ask for help this time."
Peter watched the officer hang up the telephone. Felicia Hardy worked at the Hardy Building during the day. Connors had mentioned that Octavius had previous dealings with Anastasia Hardy. "Well" he reasoned "If it's nothing I can always see what good old-fashioned detective work can accomplish and if something is going on having the Hardy women owing Spider-Man a favour has got to be a good thing."
***
Two deliverymen hustled a metal casing through the plush halls of the Hardy Foundation Building.
"Do you think they know how heavy these things are." One worker said to the other.
"Do you really think they really care about working stiffs like us." His partner complained.
"Why do you think they wanted this delivered to the bosses suite." His friend wondered as they stopped to catch their breath.
Rule #345 never question the mentality of the suits your health and sanity depends on it."
They gathered up the casing and continued lugging it down the hallway. "What is this thing supposed to be anyway."
It's a high-pressure container used for holding gaseous materials. The bit at the top expels the gas."
"How do you know that?"
"What, you think I am going to haul crap for suits all day. I got plans baby. I take night courses and stuff."
"Really you think I could do something like that?"
"Sure, there's forms you can fill out, I'll get you started."
"Great I always wanted to better myself."
The stopped at the door to Anastasia's office and pounded. She answered shrilly
"Bring it and get out. And don't pound on my door or you'll be pounding the pavement." The two silently placed the canister on the floor and left the office without a word. Anastasia didn't see the pair of raised middle fingers that both men flipped her as they left. This was ok for Doctor Octopus noticed it and he chuckled to himself about it as he stepped from the alcove in which he and Felicia had been concealed. He let go of her mouth but the metal arms enfolding her didn't relax their grip in the slightest.
"Anastasia so nice to see you're still the master of employee relations you've always been."
You have what you want take the canister and go."
"… And leave your charming presence without reliving the great memories we share."
"We share nothing and we have nothing in common."
"Not true, we share an appreciation of power and dedication required to achieve it."
"I don't want power, I just want my daughter back."
"And I want her to be safe, tragically your devious nature insures that I will have to confirm the canisters condition before releasing young Felicia. Not to worry though, I'm sure she and I can discuss much."
"Leave her alone."
"Young girl, in the flower of her womanhood, and dating Harry Osborne so I hear. Why don't I believe that's a coincidence?"
"I don't care what you believe."
Octavius sneered and continued checking the seals on the canister he nodded to himself and hauled the heavy load under one arm. "Tell no one that I have been here I will release Felicia when I am satisfied that you have been a thoughtful and wise mother."
"That wasn't our agreement. I give you want you want, you let my Felicia go."
"I'd worry less about when I will release her and more about what I might say to her before I release her."
"Danm you Octavius, if you say…"
"An empty threat Anastasia, I take my leave, you might consider the folly of crossing me as you did so long ago."
Felicia yelled for her mother as Octavius wrenched open the window and climbed through pulling Felicia and the gas canister after him.
